To the Editor: Dr Baker and colleagues1 reported that only 40% of US Internet users search
for health information online yearly and that only 9% search for this information
on a monthly basis. Industry market research studies, however, report results
that differ greatly from the findings of Baker et al.

Using random-digit dialing telephone methods, Cybercitizen Health found
that 53% of all Internet users visited online health information sites in
20012 and that 65% did so in 2002.3 In addition, Cybercitizen Health found that 56%
of such users accessed these sites monthly in 2001 and that 59% did so in
2002. In contrast, Baker et al found that only 22% of such users visited monthly
in 2002.